IPF wants more carrots for Iran

July 13, 2007 9:00am

The Israel Policy Forum said it supports tough congressional legislation targeting Iran, but called for it to include more incentives.

“IPF believes that the bill is incomplete, and does not go far enough in balancing the advocacy of tough sanctions, which we approve, with the offer of improving relations with Teheran, which we continue to maintain may one day be possible,” the pro-Israel group said in a statement Friday.

The bill, proposed by Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), the Jewish chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, would further restrict presidential waivers on sanctions and would extend sanctions to countries and companies that deal with Iran’s nuclear sector. The IPF statement cited North Korea and Libya as cases that demonstrate that “it is possible to move forward against proliferation without overthrowing the regime.”

In March, Americans for Peace Now called for a greater emphasis on engagement with Iran, which is suspected of working to manufacture nuclear weapons.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee strongly backs Lantos’ bill, which has yet to be considered.